Arch structure



G. S. SARROS ARCH STRUCTURE Jan. 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2. 1958 INVENTOR. @E0/Q65 5. eeos.

Jan. 12, 1965 G. s. sARRos 3,164,928

ARCH STRUCTURE Filed oct. 2, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY roof;

e 3,164,928 Patented Jan.,12,; 1965 3,164,928 ARCH STRUCTURE S. Sarros, 1504 Forest Ave., Calumet City, lll.

Filed Oct. 2, 19158, Ser. No. 764,918

' Y 1 Claim. (Cl. 750-4-61) 1 George This invention relates to improvements in arch structures, and more particularly tosarch structures used to form roofs of buildings or supports for bridges.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel, simple, inexpensive arch structure which can' be manufactured in long span at low cost from masonry materials with minimum labor to provide a fireproof strong structurerequiring support only at its'erids.

' A further object is to provide an arch structure of this character employing preformed concrete blocks as a part thereof, bonded with and constituting van integral part Aof the complete structure and constituting a form for fluent materials during casting ofthe structure.

A furtherobject is to provide angv'arch structure of this United States Patent tice character wherein masonry elements and-concrete are used in a mannerto place theniunder compression, andk in which steel reinforcement is used only-to prevent shearing of the par-ts. is

Other objects will'be apparent from the following specification. 4

In the drawing: 'Y

l is a' vertical sectional view. illustrating the use of myinvention in Vthe formation-ofthe arched roof of ai. building, taken on'lin'emll of FIG. 2; ff

.f VFIGLZ is a Vfrag'rrierrta'r'y'top plan View. of abuilding i FIG'.`3` is afragrniitar'yseotioral View similar to FIG. l, illustrating a modifiedconstruction` 1o f roof arch;

, FIG. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line "4f-i4ofFIG1" l s.

IjFI,G-.f 6 is 'a perspective-viewof'one type of block usable withg'this invention; 1 Y i `;`FIG. "17 is a fragmentary viewillustrating^another` typev of block usablewith this inventiong' FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical vsectional view illustrating another modified embodiment of the invention;

. FIG. 9 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional v-iew of a modified form of the invention and `similar to-FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention, the numeral 10 designates the upright or supporting walls or piers or supports of a structure, such as a building or a bridge.

The supports 10 may be formed of masonry, such as cement blocks or bricks, as illustrated in FIG. Vl. The

`supports 10 may beV provided with steel structural reinv forcing members, such as posts 12, arranged in pilasters 14,- as illustrated in FIG. 3. The supports 10 will preferably be provided with beams 16, formed of steel or of 59 they are capable of withstanding stresses exerted thereon s and of maintaining the desired arch shape.

blocks in rows of desired arch-forming configuration. Such supports may include uprights or posts 24 which support longitudinally extending horizontal members 26 at their upper ends and which are in turn interconnected by cross-brace members 28 preferably having longitudinally curved upper surfaces. Panels 30, which are of a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the top surfaces of members 28, are supported on said members. Panels 30 will preferably be of a length to support a pluralityof the transverse courses or rows ofthe archforming blocks. The blocks are laid up lin desired assembly by the use of mortar therebetween.` Upwardly projecting metal reinforcements 32 may be positioned between blocks at suitable intervals and secured inplace by the mortar. Y

The blocks ineach course or row are preferably arrangediin cantedor in inclined relation, as best seen in FIG. 4, so that one end of each blockvoverlaps theend of an adjacent block in an adjacent course or row to produce` av serrated or sawtooth arrangement perpeng dicular to the courses, i.e., lengthwise of the structure.

After the blocks 18` are laid up march-forming rela.

tioniover the entire extent of the building roof or bridge` arch or other! structure `to be formed, metal reinforce-u is then poured over the block structure at138 to form a' monolithic coating or layer imbeddng the reinforcing members, such as. thermembers 32,f 34 and 36.,.The

preformed reinforced concrete, at or adjacent the upper 's ends thereof;

vConcrete blocksor other structural members,` suchY as blocks 18 illustrated in FIG. 6, or blocks 20 illustratedin FIG. 7, are arranged to form transverse arches bear--v ing on or extending between the beams 16. The block-s 18 are here illustrated as provided with one or more passages 19 therethrough to reduce the weight thereof, and the body of the block is preferably substantially rectangular on all cross-sections thereof. The block shown in FIG. 7 is a solid block of generally rectangular configuration and' having opposed sidewalls 21 thereof slightly inclined relative to eachother. I Y I During" the erectionof the arch, suitable supports, such Vas those shown in FIG'. hs, maybe employed to holdthe concreteV preferably has a lsmoothly arched or .curved upper surface 'conforming to the arch arrangement of: the

supporting 'blocks'. When the concrete' set's,a uniform or integralV structure isproduced, made up in` part ofthe concrete4 and the preformed bloeksbonded thereto and reinforced. by. theV metal reinforcingrnembers. It will be observed that the concrete will have a bottom contourrof corrugated or ribbedcharacter whose ribs are curved lengthwise vthereof.correspondingly to the arch and are of a strong character by virtue of reinforcing members 18. v

After the concrete Vhas set, the supporting forms may be withdrawn andthe structure `provides a clear span of great strength wherein the concrete layer and the preformed concrete blocks are placed in compression so that The concrete arch structure exerts a force tending to spread the walls or supports 10. It is desirable to rein# i extend through openings in the walls 10 at pilasters'14, Vas illustrated in FIG. 2. Each tie rod preferably has screw-threaded end portions and is encircled by a washer;

or kbearing plate 42` bearing against the wall and in turn providing an abutment fora nut 44 threaded on the tie- Vrod 40.

In instances where it is notk desired to have the tie rods extend lthrough the building,sthey may be extended across the top ofthe arch, as shown at 46 in FIG. 3,

bearing downwardly thereon. The end portions 48 of the tie rods extend at an angle tothe top of the roof .Y

and pass through apertures in the upstanding structural members 12 or other part of .the wall spaced above the top of the adjacent portion of the roof but somewhat below the level of the crest of the roof. T-ie rod end portions 48 are preferably screw-threaded to receive nuts 50 bearing against washers 52.

In short span constructions, the arrangement shown in FIG. 8 may be employed. Here the wall or support 10 carries a reinforced concrete preformed beam 53 having a beveled surface 54 and an aperture therethrough. Blocks 56 bear against the beveled face 54, and tie rod 5S extends through the aperture. The beam projects above the upper margin of beveled face 54, so that concrete layer 60 canbe retained by the upper part of the beam. The arch formed in this case will be in the form of a simple curve rather than a parabolic or other complex curve.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a strong reproof arch structure is provided. The canting r inclination of the constituent blocks adds to the rigidity of the structure and to 'its strength by providing corrugations or ribs ofthe arch and further assists in insuring that the stresses applied thereto inthe nished structure will be compressive forces. Steel members, both for reinforcement and for tying together the walls or other supports 10,are the only members placed in tension and serve principally to prevent shear. The concrete blocks serve as forms during construction but remain in place after construction as an integral part of t-he `structure so as to reduce the amount of fluid concrete which must be handled without at .the same time detracting from the advantages of a monolithic construction. It will further be apparent that, while certain types of blocks have been illustrated herein, the structure does not requirethe use of such blocks or of any particular type of block, so that a Wide range of choice exists which may be utilized by the designer to meet special problems or'conditions er1- countered from time to time in the eld.

vWhile preferred, it is notessential that the blocks be canted as seen in. FIG. 4, and, instead, they may be a1'- ranged as shown in FIG. 9, wherein adjacent arch forming rows are offset, with the blocks having their .edges transverse of the rows` positioned horizontally.. Thus rows 70 provide smaller arches than rows 72 which overlap the margins of the rows'70 which they span. This provides a sawtooth contour of an arch; and accom- Kmodates positioning of reinforcing bars 74 above rows and between rows 72, and also accommodates use of screen reinforcing at 76 within the concrete 78.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is understood that changes in construction may be made within the scope of `the appended claim Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A building structure comprising a pair of spaced elongated supporting structural units and an arched structural unit spanning between and supported by said rst units, said arched unit comprising a plurality of arched rows of preformed structural blocks with the blocks in each row bonded together by mortar, each row'of blocks being inclined transversely of -the row with a marginal surface portion of each block in said row disposed in overlapping relation to a marginal surface portion of a block in an adjacent row, the lapping marginal surface portions being bonded together by mortar whereby said blockdened arched unit has a serrated upper surface, a monolithic concrete layer covering and bonded to the upper surface of said arched unit and having interlocking engagement with the serrations thereof, and reinforcing rods imbedded insaid concrete layer and extending the length of said rows, said rods being disposed within the serrations of the upper surface of said arched unit.

References Cit-ed'in the file of this patent y UNITED STATES PATENTS 468,871 Guastavino ..-v Feb. 16, 1892 749,771 Arnold ---u Jan. 19, 1904 853,183 Luten May 7, 1907 893,640 Moccetti July 21, 1908 1,223,266 Dyer Apr. 17, 1917 2,287,370 Becker .lune 23, 1942 2,419,843 Marten Apr.29, 1947 FOREIGN VPATENTS 232,474 Germany Mar. 1,6, 1911 81,870 Switzerland Jan. 2, 1920 728,069 I France' Apr. 45, 1932 42,907 France Oct. 16, 1933 359,355 Italy Man-19, 1938 500,718 Italy of 1954 "Switzerland Jan. 3, 1949 

